Gunman and Victim Identified in Ottawa Shooting

One of the two people killed in the shootout in Ottawa this morning has been identified by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) as Nathan Cirillo, a 24-year old Canadian soldier from Hamilton.

Ottawa police had confirmed at a press conference earlier this afternoon that two people died in the incidents early today, but did not identify either, only saying that a soldier had been killed and “a male suspect has also been confirmed deceased.”

US officials later told CBS News the name of the dead Ottawa shooting suspect is Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, a Canadian born in 1982.

Multiple 911 calls were received by police at 9:52am, who told reporters that they were not in a position to confirm the timing or sequence of events after that.

A video shared by a reporter for the Globe and Mail shows officers engaging in the shootout inside the Parliament building this morning. There are no details of the gunman’s injuries, but reports indicate that Cirillo died at a hospital after standers-by tried to resuscitate him on Parliament Hill.

The video shows officers walking slowly through Parliament with their weapons drawn. A gunshot is heard, followed by the sounds of a series of shots ringing out.

The police also confirmed that no shooting incident occurred near the Rideau Center, although they had previously said otherwise.

Bob Zimmer, a member of the nation’s Parliament, first tweeted Wednesday that a “lone gunman is deceased” before police confirmed the death.

Reports of further shootings followed that tweet, and police told people to keep away from windows due to the “ongoing police incident.” The Parliament building remained on lockdown as investigators sought out other possible assailants. Authorities told reporters today that Parliament Hill has been at a “medium” security status for several years, and remains at that status following today’s events.

Const. Marc Soucy of Ottawa police said Wednesday morning, “As to the number of suspects, we don’t know.”

The information that no shooting incidents took place after the shootout on Parliament Hill supports a lone gunman theory. Media outlets and law enforcement today were considering a multiple gunman theory with possible terrorist connections. For now, the number of shooters at the scene remains unclear. Ottawa police have asked the public to stay away from the downtown area.

In addition to the soldier killed guarding the memorial, a security guard was also wounded, the Toronto Star reported.

Another video, by Canadian broadcaster CBC, showed medics performing CPR on one of the men wounded by the War Memorial.

Mayor Jim Watson gave a brief statement today on the shooting, saying “Today is a sad and tragic day for our city and our country” but “”I will not let that anger rule the day. We all want answers.”

Today’s incident comes a day after a recent convert to Islam was shot and killed in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, by authorities after he killed one soldier and injured another in a hit-and-run. Martin Couture-Rouleau, the man who attacked the soldiers, was being investigated by Canadian authorities.